Greetings!

For many of us, Labor Day signals the end of summer. Long summer vacations are over for the kids, as they begin a new school year.  The week-or-so-long family vacations at the beach or the mountains are over for another year.  And Labor Day weekend gives us that long weekend for the "last hurrah."  We head into fall with a renewed interest in what we do.

But have you ever considered what Labor Day is really all about?  I think we all know Labor Day has something to do with "labor", but it is generally associated more with cookouts, time with family, and the end to summer break, rather than the fight of early labor organizers.

I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some interesting history about the origins of Labor Day.

Labor Day, a creation of the labor movement, is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September.  The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City.  It is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  The holiday originated from a desire by the Central Labor Union (of New York City) to create "a day off for the working man".  Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.  Parades and pro-union demonstrations were central to the holiday, at least through the time of World War I.
 
In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date.  The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.  By 1894, 30 states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday - a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.  This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.  Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday.  Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
 
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known, and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy.  It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership - the American worker.

Interesting, isn't it?  I just wanted to give you something to think about as you enjoy the holiday weekend.
 
Have a safe and happy holiday!